Smith, Archer light fuse as Ashes tensions bubble over

Steve Smith and Jofra Archer have lit the fuse for a resumption of their heated rivalry as they head to Adelaide with the Englishman still to dismiss the prolific batter in Test cricket.

Across the space of one lightning fast over from Archer during the frenetic closing stages of the second Test in Brisbane, the pair repeatedly exchanged pleasantries mid-pitch.

"Bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion," Smith said after copping a mouthful from the 30-year-old, who is currently averaging 57 with the ball for the series.

Despite Archer cranking the speedometer up to 150.5kph, it was Smith who had the last laugh, clubbing 15 runs from the five balls he faced from the England spearhead, including two fours and a six.

"It was good banter," Smith told Fox Sports after play. "He's a good competitor, he comes hard at you, so it was good fun."

The showdown brought the Gabba crowd to life, and brought out the parochial side of Ricky Ponting in the Channel 7 commentary box, with the former Australian captain going into bat for Smith.

"Jofra's finally come to life, six days into the series, when the second Test match is gone he starts chirping," Ponting said during 7's coverage. "Too late for that, champ … too late boys, you've had your chance for four days. You haven't been good enough, it's too late to start (now)."

Smith has now faced 220 balls from Archer in Test cricket without being dismissed, scoring 131 runs. It is the most deliveries any bowler has sent down to the 36-year-old in the format without taking his wicket.

Asked after play about their history, Smith made his feelings clear.

"What history do I have?" he said, before adding when pressed: "He was just bowling good pace, I'm not really sure what he said, I'm not really sure what I said, and it's not really any of your business, either (laughs), so we'll leave it out there."

The pair's rivalry in fact stretches back to the 2019 Ashes in the UK, when Archer struck Smith three times on a spicy Lord's pitch during a fearsome spell that ultimately led to the Australian being ruled out of the remainder of that match, as well as the following one, with concussion.

He has dismissed him once in an ODI – last year in the UK after Smith made 60 – but outside of that, the veteran batter has clearly held the upper hand, and in the Gabba Test he enjoyed perhaps his biggest win over him, clubbing him for 35 runs from 31 balls across the two innings.

Both players have shown glimpses of their best throughout this Ashes series to date without dominating an innings, but inevitably they will again be crucial for their sides when Ashes hostilities resume from December 17 in Adelaide.

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (second Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood